The present invention relates to a connector for a memory card, and the memory card.
A connector is provided into which to insert a memory card having a case housing a part forming a memory, a contact piece area provided at an end part in a direction of insertion of the case into a connector so as to be extended in a direction orthogonal to the inserting direction, and a plurality of contact pieces arranged in the direction orthogonal to the inserting direction and each extended in the inserting direction in the contact piece area.
As such a connector, a connector having a mechanism for inserting and removing a memory card on a so-called push-in push-out basis is proposed in which mechanism, when the memory card is loaded into the connector, the memory card is pushed into the connector (push-in) along an inserting direction, whereby the memory card is locked in a state in which the contact pieces of the memory card are connected to the connection terminals of the connector, and when the memory card is extracted and removed from the connector, the memory card connected to the connector is pushed in the inserting direction, whereby the memory card is unlocked to be removed (push-out) (see for example Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-124343).
That is, supposing that the position in the inserting direction of the memory card in a state in which the memory card is connected to the connector is a normal use position, the memory card is temporarily moved in the inserting direction by a predetermined dimension (for example about 1 mm to 2 mm) from the normal use position when the memory card is loaded into the connector (at the time of a push-in) and when the memory card is removed from the connector (at the time of a push-out). This predetermined dimension is necessary for the mechanism to operate.
The contact pieces of the memory card include contact pieces for transmitting and receiving data signals and contact pieces for grounding. The connection terminals of the connector include connection terminals for transmitting and receiving the data signals which connection terminals contact the contact pieces for transmitting and receiving the data signals, and connection terminals for grounding which connection terminals contact the contact pieces for grounding.
In order to prevent electrostatic noise from entering a signal line of the memory card and producing an adverse effect on the memory card, when the memory card is inserted into the connector, it is necessary that the contact pieces of the memory card for grounding be first connected to the connection terminals of the connector for grounding and then the contact pieces of the memory card for transmitting and receiving the data signals be connected to the connection terminals of the connector for transmitting and receiving the data signals. In addition, when the memory card is extracted and removed from the connector, it is necessary that the contact pieces of the memory card for transmitting and receiving the data signals be first disconnected from the connection terminals of the connector for transmitting and receiving the data signals and then the contact pieces of the memory card for grounding be disconnected from the connection terminals of the connector for grounding.
Thus, the connection terminals of the connector for grounding are disposed closer to an inserting mouth than the connection terminals of the connector for transmitting and receiving the data signals in the inserting direction.
In the case where the connection terminals for grounding are disposed closer to the inserting mouth than the connection terminals for transmitting and receiving the data signals in the inserting direction, when the memory card is temporarily moved in the inserting direction by the predetermined dimension from the normal use position at a time of inserting or removing the memory card, the connection terminals for grounding in the connector of the above-described push-in push-out system, for example, come close to a part of the case of the memory card.
At this time, if the connection terminals of the connector for grounding go up on the part of the case of the memory card, for example, due for example to variations in dimensional accuracy of the memory card or the connector, the connection terminals for grounding are separated from the contact pieces for grounding, and thus the memory card is temporarily disconnected from a ground, so that electrostatic noise may produce an adverse effect on the memory card.
In particular, the number of data signals has been increasing with increase in the transfer speed of data sent and received between the memory card and the connector. Accordingly, there are a demand for more contact pieces in a limited space of the memory card, and a demand for more connection terminals in a limited space of the connector. The above-described problem therefore tends to occur.
The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and it is desirable to provide a connector and a memory card that stably retain a state of connection between contact pieces for grounding and connection terminals for grounding at a time of inserting the memory card into the connector and removing the memory card from the connector, and which are advantageous in stabilizing the operation of the memory card.